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Sadiya Akram's research is concerned with debates on agency, focusing primarily on the role of the unconscious and its interplay with agential capacities. Sadiya is also interested in the intersection between theories of agency and understandings of politics and political behaviour. The social and political theory of Pierre Bourdieu continues to be a focal point of her research.
Sadiya's teaching draws on these themes and at MMU she is responsible for convening the 1st Year unit Key Concepts in Politics and the 3rd year unit Political Theory Since 1918.
Sadiya is the author of a monograph entitled Re-thinking Contemporary Political Behaviour: The Difference that Agency Makes, which was published in 2019 by Routledge.
Sadiya began her academic career with a PhD at the University of Birmingham. She then went on to posts at IGPA, University of Canberra, and SPIR, Queen Mary University, before joining Manchester Met in 2017.
PhD in Political Science - University of Birmingham (2011)
MA (distinction) in Political Science Research Methods - University of Birmingham (2006)
BA (distinction) Sociology - University of Birmingham (2004)
Lecturer in Politics - Queen Mary University of London (2015-2017)
Post-doctoral Researcher - IGPA, University of Canberra (2013-2014)
Engagement and Participation Officer for PSA Anti-politics Specialist Group
English (native)
French (intermediate)
Akram, S. (2019). Re-thinking Contemporary Political Behaviour: The Difference that Agency Makes. London: Routledge.
Akram, S, Pflaeger Y. Z. (2020). ECRs' experiences of maternity and parental leave in Political Science/International Relations Deptartments: A Heads of Department and Early Career Reseacher Survey. Political Studies Review. May 2020.
Akram, S. (2017). Representative bureaucracy and unconscious bias: Exploring the unconscious dimension of active representation. Public Administration. Vol. 96 (1). pp. 119-133.
Akram, S, Emerson, G and Marsh, D. (2016). (Re)Conceptualising the Third Face of Power: Insights from Bourdieu and Foucault. Journal of Political Power. Vol 8 (3) pp. 345-362.
Akram, S and Marsh, D (2016). Co-edited Special Issue. Introduction: Political Participation and Citizen Engagement: Beyond the Mainstream. Policy Studies. Vol 36(6). pp. 523-531.
Akram, S & McCaffrie, B. (2015) Crisis of democracy? Recognising the democratic potential of alternative forms of political participation. Democratic Theory. Vol 1 (2) pp. 47-55.
Akram, S and Hogan, A. (2015). On Reflexivity and the Conduct of the Self in Everyday Life: Reflections on Bourdieu and Archer. British Journal of Sociology. Vol 66 (4) pp. 606-625.
Marsh, D, Akram, S and Birkett, H. (2015). The Structural Power of Business: Taking Structure, Agency and Ideas Seriously. Business and Politics.
Akram, S. (2014). Recognising the 2011 UK Riots as Political Protest: A Theoretical Framework based on Agency, Habitus and the Pre-conscious. British Journal of Criminology. pp. 375-392.
Akram, S. and Marsh, D. (2014). The Thatcher Legacy in Perspective. British Politics. Vol. 10, 52-63. pp. 52-63
Akram, S. (2012). Fully Unconscious and Prone to Habit: The Characteristics of Agency in the Structure and Agency Dialectic. Journal for the Theory for Social Behaviour. Vol. 43 (1). pp.45-65.
Akram, S. Marsh, D. and McCaffrie, B. (2014). ‘Crisis Talks, Are We Listening? A Crisis of Apathy or Engagement: Interrogating Trends in Political Participation’ in Richards, D. ed. Institutional Crisis in Twenty First Century Britain. London: Palgrave.
Akram, S. (2014). 38 Degrees. Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics. Harvey, K (ed.) Sage.
Akram, S. (2014). A Methodology for Accessing the Pre-conscious: Obstacles to Senior Women’s Career Progression. SAGE Cases in Methodology. London: Sage.
Akram, S. (2012). ‘Riots’ or ‘Urban Disorders’? The Case for Re-Politicizing Urban Disorders in Furlong, A (ed.) Handbook of Youth and Young Adulthood. London: Routledge
March 24th 2022: QMUL: Invited panellist - 'Polling London: Londoners' Priorities ahead of the Local Elections'. Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London. Online.
October 20th 2021. QMUL: Invitation to speak at 'Structural and Institutional Racism in the UK - Contemporary Perspectives' hosted by the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University of London. Online event.
September 9th 2021, PSA Participant in PSA Women in Politics Specialist Group - The Gendered Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Academics and Post-Pandemic Strategies: Experiences from Politics and International Studies. Online.
May 5th 2021: MMU: Decolonising Critical Theory - international event held by the Critical Theory in Hard Times Network (co-convenor).
April 20th 2021. QMUL: Invitation to participate in Queen Mary University of London Mile End Institute Podcast: Responses to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report (Sewell Report)
19th Feb 19th, 2021, QMUL: Delivered a paper in the SPIR invited seminar series: Racism’s new clothes: From institutional racism to unconscious bias.
July 4-6th 2019: Amsterdam: European Conference on Politics and Gender. Paper presented on: ECRs' experiences of maternity and parental leave in Pol. Science/IR Depts: A HofD and ECR Survey (with Z.P.Young)
April 2019: Critical Theory in Hard Times Networking event (Anthony Burgess Foundation – event co-organiser).
19th Oct 2020: MMU - paper on unconscious bias and institutional racism at the symposium on Researching Race and Racism.
Oct 2018: MMU: Paper Representative bureaucracy and unconscious bias: Exploring the unconscious dimension of active representation.
April 2018: Organised a meeting of the PSA Anti-Politics Group – delivered a paper on political socialization: issues and new challenges.
July 2014: Uni. of Birmingham: Paper given on New and Old forms of political participation.
April 2014. Perth, Australia. The Australian Sociological Association (TASA): 38 Degrees and the new forms of political engagement: crisis or storm in a teacup?
Associate Board Member Sociological Research Online
Research Fellow at Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, Univeristy of Canberra.
Member of Political Science Association (PSA)
Member of British Sociological Assolciation (BSA)